Good News March 28, 2017

TAF Academy Scholars receive scholarship

The board is proud to announce four TAF Academy students recently competed in a three-day Student Innovation Challenge sponsored by the architecture and engineering firm, the DLR Group.

Our scholars won the award for Innovation for the Public Service Announcement they created on the topic of ending homelessness.

The Board would like to thank Paul Okerlund from the DLR Group for presenting a certificate and a learning scholarship worth $200 to our students.

The Board would like to recognize the following students who received this scholarship:

• Angelica Colin
• Pablo Rodriguez
• Gurleen Bassi
• Christopher Heredia

This is in direct support of our Strategic Plan Goal 3: Engaged, Empowered, Critical Thinkers. Congratulations, scholars!

FWPS Scholars compete in national competition 

We are proud of our scholars and staff who competed and won awards at the Western Washington National Speech and Debate Association competition! The Western Washington District is comprised of about 50 schools in Washington and Alaska and includes four FWPS' schools: Thomas Jefferson High School, Federal Way High School, Todd Beamer High School and TAF Academy.

Thanks to Andrew Buchan, Lois Gorne, and other coaches who spend hundreds of hours investing in these scholars and their speech and debate skills that will benefit them long after high school!

The board would like to recognize the following individuals for their achievements including those staff members who received awards for their contributions to the Western Washington District this year:

• Tammy Campbell, Communicator of the Year
• Isaiah Parker, Alumni of the Year
• Zack Gostisha, Federal Way High School, Student of the Year, 1^st Zackery also placed 1^st in International Extemporaneous AND 1^st Place Congressional Debate. Students can only compete in one event at nationals, and Zack has chosen Congressional Debate.
• Sarah Jacob, TAF Academy, 1st Place Oral Interpretation, Sarah will advance to the national competition
• Cindy Lee and Erica Dillard, Thomas Jefferson High School, 1^st Place Duo Interpretation, Cindy and Erica will advance to the national competition
• Andrew Tang, Thomas Jefferson High School, 3^rd Place Informative
• Justin Kwon, Federal Way High School, 2^nd Place International Extemp, Justin will advance to the national competition
• Hakeem Shibly, Thomas Jefferson High School, 3^rd Place United States Extemp AND Oratory
• Skyler Yesiltepe, Thomas Jefferson High School, 3^rd Place, Foreign Extemp
• In addition, Andrew Tang, Hakeem Shibly, Hannan Ajmal, Skyler Yesiltepe, and Maria Thompson all from Thomas Jefferson High School, will be representing Western Washington in World Team Debate at Nationals. Hannan Ajmal and Maria Thompson, please come join your team up at the front to be recognized!

This effort is in direct support of Goal 3 of our Strategic Plan, active learners: engaged, empowered, critical thinkers and Goal 4, content area competence: mastery of all subjects.

Congratulations to everyone recognized tonight — we are proud of you!

Raiders Debate Team brings home first state championship

On March 11, Thomas Jefferson High School came home with its first team state championship in speech since 2007! TJ had more people in the finals (10) than any other school.

The Board would like to recognize the following coaches and scholars 

• Coach Andrew Buchan
• Coach Isaiah Parker
• Coach Jessica Garman
• Coach Mary-Kay Soderlind
• Hakeem Shibly who earned the first individual state championship for TJ since 2013. Hakeem placed first in impromptu
• Luke Sorenson placed second in dramatic interpretation
• Avanti Bryant placed second in oratory
• Zach Wall finished third in humorous interpretation

In addition to our award winners, a number of other Raiders represented TJ at state. The Board would like to recognize the following scholars.

• Grace Scuderi
• Amanda Fowler
• Skyler Yesiltepe
• Jennifer Frias
• Andrew Tang
• Amara Swartz
• Praises Orji
• Faith Elder
• Haley Ruppel
• Ji In
• Maria Thompson
• Erica Dillard
• Cindy Lee
• Mark Kamyshin
• Carlos Santana
• Julia Sheats
• Jared Tran
• Hannan Ajmal

This is in direct support of Goal 3 of our Strategic Plan, active learners: engaged, empowered, critical thinkers and Goal 4, content area competence: mastery of all subjects. Congratulations, everyone!

Lake Grove teacher receives Leadership Award

SHAPE America is the nation’s largest membership organization of health and physical education professionals. It defines excellence in physical education and is committed to empowering all children to lead healthy and active lives. Each year, SHAPE America recognizes one individual who exemplifies leadership with the Physical Activity Leader Learning System, embodies the Let’s Move! Active Schools spirit, and champions a comprehensive school physical activity program within his or her community.

The board would like to recognize Lake Grove Elementary health and physical education specialist, Dana Henry, as the recipient of the 2017 Let’s Move! Active Schools Outstanding Physical Activity Leader Award! 

After attending a PAL training, Dana engaged her school community to better address the physical education needs of the Lake Grove student body. Not only do scholars at Lake Grove learn about health, fitness, and sports in their daily physical education lessons, they are engaged in physical activity throughout the day and after school.

Thank you, Dana, for your creativity and commitment to student learning and ensuring all students are healthy, college- and career-ready by the time they graduate — Goal 5 of our Strategic Plan!